Humanity is not lost among the eye candy

Rating: 8/10 (12 July 2013)

"Pacific Rim" is the latest creation from Spanish visionary Guillermo del Toro (director of "Pan's Labyrinth" and the "Hellboy" movies). The film tells the story of the pilots of giant robotic machines called Jaegers who must go head to head with invading, sky-scraping beasts called Kaiju, making for some of the most jaw-dropping showdowns in recent cinema. And while the film's greatest achievement is its astounding visual effects, the human element is never lost in the mix.
The film is told from the human perspective, making for some true edge-of-your-seat entertainment as the pilots are shaken and tossed around in the head of the Jaegers, adding suspense and jeopardy to scenes mostly rendered in a computer - in the hands of a lesser director, the fight scenes could easily be detached and cartoonish, but del Toro allows the audience to stay with the pilots and control centers, giving these extended battle royales genuine gravitas.
The acting is well-done and each of the protagonists is given a back story and good motivations, but it is Idris Elba who delivers a standout performance as the commander of the Jaeger program. While our main hero, played by Charlie Hunnam, is given a decent character arc and background, he isn't fleshed out as well as Elba's or even Rinko Kikuchi's character, so you don't necessarily care about him as much as the other two protagonists.
Ultimately, "Pacific Rim" is a feast for the eyes with human drama added for good measure. The main draw of the film is obviously the clash of the titans element, but audiences will also be able to connect to the characters, enriching those moments of ocean-moving, building-tumbling collisions as two beasts, one from another world, one man-made, pummel each other to the death.